Comparators and sample and hold circuit

BySandesh gandhi Neha ingole Ajinkya ijate

COMPARATORS
The general principle of comparator is to indicate the differences in size between the standard and the work being measured by means of some pointer on a scale with sufficient magnification All comparators consist of three basic features 1) A sensing device which faithfully senses the input signal 2) A magnifying or amplifying system to increase the signal to suitable magnitude. Mechanical, Optical, Pneumatic, hydraulic and electronic methods are used for this purpose. 3) A display system (usually a scale and pointer) which utilizes the amplified signal to provide a suitable readout.

Need for a comparator

A comparator is used in mass production to inspect the components to close tolerances with high degree of precision and speed. Ex: Piston Use of line standards such as vernier and micrometer calipers require considerable skill Many dimensions can be checked in a very short time Comparators can be classified as 1. Mechanical 2. Optical 3. Electrical & Electronic 4. Pneumatic 5. Fluid displacement comparators 6. Mechanical optical comparator
7. Electro-mechanical comparator comparator. 8. Multi-check

Design Consideration
1. Ability to record variation of at least 0.0025 mm 2. Linear recording scale 3. Variance free (Instrument readings should not vary when repeated measurements of given quantity are made 4. Scale indicators clear and free from oscillations 5. Free from backlash, unnecessary friction & clearances inertia should be low. 6. Measuring pressure should be low and constant 7. Supporting frame to be rigid and withstand reasonable ill usage without permanent damage 8. Capable of measuring wide range.

Mechanical Comparators
In Mechanical type, the required magnification is obtained by using mechanical linkages, levers, gears and other mechanical devices. Magnification (M): It is the ratio between the movement of the plunger and the resultant movement of the pointer M= P(pointer movement)/p Plunger movement

Mechanical comparators types: 1. Dial test indicator. 2. Johansson mikrokator. 3. Sigma mechanical comparator

Advantages of Mechanical Comparators

They are cheaper compared to other amplifying devices Do not require electricity or air and such the variations in the outside sources do not affect the accuracy. They have a linear scale, robust and easy to handle.

Disadvantages of Mechanical Comparators

They have more linkages due to which friction is more and accuracy is less. Mechanisms used have more inertia and hence they become sensitive to vibrations. Any wear, backlash, play or dimensional faults in the mechanical devices used will also be magnified. The range of the instruments is limited as the pointer moves over a fixed scale. It is also difficult to incorporate arrangement for adjusting magnification.

Sample and hold circuit

Sample-and-hold(S/H) is an important analog building block with many applications, including analog-todigital converters(ADCs)and switched-capacitor filters. The function of the S/H circuit is to sample an analog input signal and hold this value over a certain length of time for subsequent processing. Taking advantages of the excellent properties of MOS capacitors and switches,traditional switched capacitor techniques can be used to realize different S/H circuits.

Purpose
The sample and hold circuits are essentially used in linear systems. In some kinds of analog -to- digital converters, the input is often compared to a voltage generated internally from a digital to analog converter D-A- C. The circuit tries a series of values and stops converting once the voltages are "the same"within some defined error margin. If the input value was permitted to change during this comparison process, the resulting conversion would be inaccurate and possibly completely unrelated to the true input value.

Working
As shown in Figure1, where Vin is the input signal, M1 is an MOS transistor operating as the sampling switch,Ch is the hold capacitor,ck is the clock signal, and Vout is the resulting sample-and-hold output signal.

 The simplest S/H circuit in MOS technology is shown in Figure where Vin is the input signal, M1 is an MOS transistor operating as the amplifying switch, Cs is the hold capacitor,ck is the clock signal, and Vout is the resulting sample-and-hold output signal. The operation of this circuit is very straightforward. Whenever ck is high, the MOS switch is on, which in turn allows Vout to track Vin. On the other hand, when ck is low, the MOS switch is off. During this time, Cs will keep Vout equal to the value of Vin at the instance when ck goes low.

Sample and Hold Working (contd.)

Sample Times

Sample and Hold

Advantages and disadvantages

Obtain a low drop rate during holding mode Stability is determined by the stabilities of OPAmps. OPAmps offset can constrain the accuracy of SHA. Needs a special circuitry to stabilize the input amplifier during the holding mode.

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